The Market Hook: The Shea Butter Upgrade The beauty industry is moving heavily toward waterless formats (solid lotions, shampoo bars, lip balms) and strictly vegan, sustainable ingredients. While Shea Butter has ruled this space, formulators are hitting its limits—it can be greasy, prone to crystallization (becoming gritty), and has a low melting point. The superior upgrade is Illipe Butter (Shorea stenoptera), known in Indonesia as Lemak Tengkawang. Wild-harvested from the pristine rainforests of Borneo, Illipe has a higher melting point than Shea. It melts perfectly upon contact with the skin, leaving a highly protective, non-greasy lipid barrier that locks in moisture for 24 hours. It is the ultimate structural ingredient for premium solid cosmetics.
The Sourcing Challenge: Wild Harvest Risks and Heavy Odor
- Moisture and Mold: The Tengkawang nuts are wild-foraged from the forest floor. If they are not dried properly by the local communities before processing, they develop mold, leading to a high Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content that ruins the butter's stability and shelf life.
- The Earthy Scent: Unrefined Illipe butter has a very strong, earthy, woody, and somewhat heavy odor that overwhelms the essential oils in a delicate cosmetic formula. It also has a brownish-green tint that affects the color of the final product.
The Triefta Solution: Community Trade & Cosmetic Refining
- Empowering Borneo Foragers: Triefta partners directly with indigenous communities in Kalimantan. We provide protocols for proper drying and storage, ensuring they receive fair trade premiums while we secure pristine, mold-free nuts. This gives your brand a powerful, verifiable "Save the Rainforest" ESG story.
- Ultra-Refining: We process the raw butter through a physical (chemical-free) refining, bleaching, and deodorizing (RBD) process. The result is a premium cosmetic-grade Illipe Butter: pure white to pale yellow, completely odorless, and ready to act as the perfect, stable canvas for your luxury lipsticks, balms, and creams.
Application Strategy:
- Vegan Lip Care: The ultimate structural base for high-end, long-lasting lip balms.
- Solid Perfume Bases: Holds high loads of fragrance without melting in warm climates.
- Intensive Eczema Balms: A superior, locking moisture barrier for compromised skin.